The Poet and the President
by LynneDysis
Summary: Tamao wants Nagisa bad enough to team up with Chikaru to form the 'Make Nagisa fall in love with Tamao' club. The Lulim president hatches a scheme to get the two room mates together at last, but is it really her only intention? T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So here it is, my first chapter of the first story I will be writing. I found myself thinking that this was something I expected to see in the anime, especially during the Carmen play. I kept thinking "Chikaru may never act like she wants someone, but I bet she does. And poor Tamao deserves someone after what happened."

So, here it is!

_**The Poet and the President**_

The night before:

A distant giggling from the Secret Garden, the library of choice for girls at Astrea Hill who wanted to get away with each other. From this, in a dim corner of the giant building, on the wall and deeply concentrating on one another, were two girls. One from Miator, and one from Lulim.

"You really think this will work?" Ask the Miator girl. Her eyes darted from side to side to ensure privacy.

"Trust me, Suzumi," The Lulim girl said, "If you want Nagisa, just follow my lead."

"B-but Chikaru-sempai?" Asked Tamao, nervously allowing herself to fall back against the wall in hops that she could crawl away if things got out of hand.

"Hm?" Chikaru's expression was cheerful, not in the slightest bit malicious or perverse. It seemed like, to her, this was merely a fun way to spend her time.

"W-why are we discussing this here? And why are you leaning over me like that?" The bluenette asked, her voice ever quieter than before. The raven haired Lulim Student Council President leaned in closer, blocking both their faces from view, and whispered.

"It's more believable this way."

* * *

In the morning:

The day was bright and promising at Astrea Hill on this February morning. All the girls of all three schools seemed anxious over something, but nobody could place their finger on what. The air bit coldly at the lungs of those who went outside, though the sun was radiating a feeling of joy on the campus. Among those who were anxious, the poet Suzumi Tamao was no exception.

"Tamao-chan, you seem more upbeat than usual today." Spoke a red head, barely conscious enough to blink. Still in her pajamas, and slurred in speech, Aoi Nagisa attempted to get out of bed. To no avail, as she plopped back down and sighed.

"Oh, Nagisa-chan!" Tamao had found herself sitting above Nagisa on her bed, pushing on her shoulders in an attempt to wake her up. Leaning down to whisper gently to the red head, Tamao's expression show mischief.

"Please don't sleep in too late today, Nagisa-chan. I need you with me for something today." The bluenette giggled and proceeded to poke her room mate's shoulder, pretending to check if she was dead. Nagisa, reluctantly, opened her eyes and yawned. She may have been the only tired girl in the entire building.

"Alright, alright. Geez, Tamao-chan, I've never seen you this full of energy." Said the red head, slowly rising from her bed. The poet removed herself from her perch above Nagisa and allowed her the time to get ready. Meanwhile, she herself was already dressed, treated, and ready for her day. Though, her day was something new entirely to her. If Chikaru's plan works, this day could be the beginning of a long, winding story of how she finally captured her Nagisa.

* * *

During the day:

Now, with Nagisa ready and Tamao leading the way, the two headed out of their dorm and down into the theater. Their destination at least a few minutes away, Nagisa decided to fill her curious mind with the details of the day.

"Tamao-chan, what exactly are you doing today?" Asked the red head, her eyes turning over to her room mate. The February cold had turned their faces a light shade of pink, as Winter often does to one outside in the snow. The poet smiled, and a sense of excitement crawled over her. This would be the first step.

"I need you to be there for me with this, Nagisa-chan. I've been wanting to do this for a very long time now, but I was always afraid." The bluenette's cheeks were already pink, so it was impossible to see that she was blushing madly. The theater was within sight, and to Nagisa, this meant one thing.

"Are you going to see a play today? But I don't remember there being one today..."

"No." Tamao said, her eyes now holding a fire Nagisa was unfamiliar with. Whatever it was her room mate was looking for, the red head now understood was vital to her. She nodded, an encouraging smile finding itself to her, and continued along the path her friend was intending to walk. Whatever she was needed for, Nagisa could tell it was important.

In the theater, there were several students from all three schools. Each of them looked busy, preparing something or another for what Nagisa believed to be a project for class, or maybe a new play. One in particular, a Lulim uniform accented with Raven hair and flower accessories over that, seemed especially energetic.

"Tamao-chan, look! It's Chikaru-sempai!" Said Nagisa, happily turning to her room mate.

"I know." The poet gave a small smile, her face still red from the cold. She began to walk forward, towards the raven haired president. Nagisa only followed, deciding she would let Tamao do whatever it is she needed to do. It seemed like she needed Chikaru for something. Maybe the poet had written a script, and was passing it along? But then, Nagisa wasn't needed for that at all. Why would Tamao need Nagisa for something about a play?

"E-excuse me, Minamoto-sempai..." Tamao began quietly. Her eyes seemed full of emotion, something that was unexpected. The girls around all stopped and checked what was going on, silently whispering to each other. Some spoke of the library, and others spoke of a hidden affair. Nagisa stood back, bewildered by the other girls' rudeness towards the two. The red head doubted they would sneak around like that, as she knew her poet room mate was far too open to do that.

Of course, Nagisa was also unaware of exactly how much sneaking Tamao was capable of.

As if for dramatic effect, Chikaru had yet to reply. The poet nervously bowed and began speaking more loudly than she normally would, as if she were forcing herself to say those words.

"I-I like you very much, Minamoto-sempai! Please go out with me!"

Silence.

Nagisa's expression went through a number of things, from surprise, to joy, to confusion. All the girls began to whisper more and more, some saying they knew this would happen. The red head decided she knew why she was needed here now. She was here as a support in case things went wrong. Due to the silence, she assumed the worst, and began approaching the two.

Chikaru's keen ears picked up footsteps, and she turned around. They did indeed belong to Nagisa, and Tamao had fulfilled step one. To keep going with the situation, the ravenette put a finger under the poet's chin, which stopped Nagisa in her tracks. Gently, Chikaru lifted the poet's head to her own, and locked eyes with her.

"Call me Chikaru." She said, taking a pause in her words. The obviously intended dramatic tension was stirring up all the girls in the building.

"And it's about time you asked. I thought I'd have to do it."

The words echoed within the walls of the theater, and before long the two were swarmed with praise and jealousy from those in the room. It was so much that poor Nagisa couldn't even see them anymore. The red head smiled, taking a seat in one of the rows of the theater, and sighed. She never expected that her best friend would hide a crush from her.

Ironic, because the poet and the president had arranged to show the red head just that. Tamao's smile turned to a devious smirk, and Chikaru began to wade through the crowd, holding onto the poet's hand to help her out. As they made their escape, the crowd followed, leaving Nagisa alone in the large, echoing theater.

"Congratulations, Tamao-chan."

* * *

The night:

The poet couldn't get herself through the door before her room mate jumped on her with questions. All of them relating to how long and why she had developed her crush on the Lulim president. Tamao thought she would never get to bed at the rate things were going, and Nagisa knew that she wouldn't, because she would be trying to get information out of her all night.

"Nagisa-chan, I told you already, I used to live alone." Began the poet. "But Chikaru was always around to help me through everything, and I guess it just sort of happened."

Unsatisfied, Nagisa prodded more at the question.

"Oh, but that was so much more loving than a 'Just sort of happened', Tamao-chan! You sure there wasn't more to it~?"

"I'm sure. I had harbored those feeling for too long and I just needed to get them out. I am so glad things worked out for me though, because I went there today without expecting them to at all." The bluenette closed her eyes, thinking back to what happened after they escaped the crowd.

"_We lost them, Tamao-chan." The ravenette said, smiling her usual, uplifting smile. The outdoors were certainly cold, but they would at least mask the two girls for now. "As the only two members of the 'Make Nagisa fall in love with Tamao' club, we have a lot of work ahead of us. Are you sure you can handle all this?"_

_The poet nodded eagerly. Her eyes lit up as if the plan had already succeeded, and she couldn't possibly see any reason as to how they wouldn't._

"_I'm ready. I knew I could count on you, Chikaru-sempai." Said the bluenette. Chikaru just smiled brighter, and nodded._

"_Then best you get back to your dorm for tonight. We've done all we can for today. Tomorrow, we begin step two, alright?"_

"_Yes!" Tamao shot up from where she was, bowed in thanks to her sempai, and dashed back to her dorm._

* * *

The night (In Chikaru's room):

The ravenette sat back on her bed, smiling and writing in her little black book. It was so hard to believe that she was always like this, but it was the image that everyone knew, and it was the only image there was. The day brought Chikaru a new activity, and she was already enjoying herself more than usual.

"Step two: Act lovey-dovey in front of Nagisa." She said aloud, alone in her room at the moment. Sighing and smiling brightly, the president lay back and began to drift off to sleep.

"I'll enjoy this little game. Too bad Tamao-chan and I are just acting..." Smiling and curling up, Chikaru fell asleep.

A/N:

So there you have it. There's the setup for Chikaru's clever plans to get Tamao what she wants most: Nagisa. I really have no idea where this story will go, but here is how it begins. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry for the wait, everyone. Slight medical hindrance, won't happen again, I hope.

Anyway, I wrote this one after I had a really messed up dream, so yes, it will be oddball. Not out of the norm for Strawberry Panic, but I will say I added a twist that even I didn't know I would.

* * *

_**Chapter Two**_

Early morning:

Tamao awoke to the sound of Nagisa, for once, awake before her. The rustling of the red head getting dressed for the day stirred her slightly, and it wasn't until Nagisa accidentally tripped and landed on her room mate's bed that the poet woke up. An odd morning already, it seemed.

"Nagisa-chan? Since when are you awake this early?" Said the poet through yawns, to which the red head smiled and continued to prepare.

"Seeing Tamao-chan do such a romantic thing yesterday made me really hyper!" Said Nagisa, searching for her ribbon to put her hair up. This was completely out of the usual routine, and in fact looked as though the two had switched roles for the day. Tamao sleepily got to her feet when a knock was heard at the door.

"Huh?" The bluenette was certainly not in condition to just walk up and answer the door, so she made her way to the back of the room and pushed Nagisa forward. The girl just sighed and opened the door casually, greeting the figure of Chikaru whom had been knocking with her three underclassmen friends.

"Good morning, Nagisa-chan." Began the ravenette. "Has Suzumi-chan already left?"

"Nope!" The red head pointed out that Tamao was in the back of the room hiding because she wasn't ready yet, to which a laugh passed by Chikaru's lips, and then a shrug.

"Alright. I'll wait out here, thank you."

The bluenette came from her hiding place after she heard the door close. It would seem as though Chikaru was wasting no time in starting her little scheme, to which Tamao was both grateful and scared. However, deciding Chikaru probably had the entire thing figured out already, Tamao felt a little more secure in the oddball actions of her raven haired accomplice.

The day:

A group of six spent their free time outside, by the lake. The sun was strong today, which was unusual. Tamao sat next to Chikaru, with Remon and Nagisa sitting in a triangular shape around them. Kizuna and Kagome seemed to be talking amongst themselves, every so often glancing over to the others.

"So, Chikaru-sempai," Nagisa began, leaning in with an evil smirk. She was determined to learn all the details. "When did you realize you liked Tamao-chan?"

"Oh, I'd say... Probably about the same time I realized she liked you." Replied the president, striking a strong blush from Nagisa, who stuttered for a moment. The poet grew a worried expression, as if thinking Chikaru had just compromised their entire plan. The two onlooking girls stared intently at the others, now extremely curious as well.

"What?" Said Chikaru, shrugging. "She confided in me about her feelings to you ages ago. That's when I realized I wished I was the one she liked. I had no idea about her feelings until a while ago."

"B-but Chikaru-sempai..." Nagisa was cut off by Tamao, blushing and attempting to defend herself.

"It's alright, Nagisa-chan! It was just a passing crush, really! I didn't say anything because I didn't want to ruin our friendship is all, really!"

"Oh, nonsense," Chikaru pulled an arm around the poet and kissed her cheek, completely out of the blue. "You know as well as I do that you really loved her. No need to be so shy about it."

"Chikaru!" The bluenette blurted out loudly, at first unaware that she had dropped the honorific and also of how loud she was. Kagome and Kizuna then looked over to see a furiously blushing Tamao and a laughing Chikaru.

Nagisa just shook her head and smiled.

"Don't worry, Tamao-chan. I'm not bothered by it. You're my best friend. Besides, it all worked out for you. You liked Chikaru-sempai way before me, right?"

"Y-yes, but..." Tamao was cut off by Chikaru picking her chin up again, similar to the day before. Staring straight into her eyes for a solid minute or two, in dead silence. It was eerie to see, especially since the two were blushing.

"I can tell by the way you look at me, Tamao." Said the ravenette.

"Tell what, Chikaru?" Nervously, the poet asked and her body seemed to shut down. Try as she might, her arms and legs would not move.

"That you really, really want me to move in a little closer. And I know you, Tamao, you don't just want that kind of thing from anyone." The president was so confident in her words, and they left such a strong impact. Not as strong as what came next.

"Tamao-chan, you're far more reserved than to simply want to kiss just anyone." Teasingly, Chikaru backed herself away again.

Nagisa felt a hint of nostalgia, as she had been put in similar situations by Shizuma several times. In fact, it was how she first met Tamao. Flashing back to that first day, she remembered waking from her faint spell to see the poet, watching over her carefully.

It sent a shiver up her spine to see this happening to Tamao now.

"You two look like you could use a bit of privacy. I'll go check in with Kizuna-chan and Kagome-chan." Said the red head, standing to go group together with the two who were still away from the main circle.

Chikaru smiled, seeing that her poet had closed her eyes. Tamao was probably so taken at this point that, even if it started as acting, she would put her heart into an actual kiss if Chikaru decided to take one. Though her actions spoke otherwise.

"Has the hen left the barn?" She asked, an energetic voice to her which snapped Tamao back to reality. Remon nodded and smiled.

"H-huh?" The poet opened her eyes, confused and flustered beyond what she thought she was. She had no idea the effect Chikaru had on her.

"Excellent, then we completed the second step. Job well done, team!" The president said, grinning.

"Pardon?" Tamao asked, looking slightly disappointed.

"Tamao-chan, meet the three newest members of the club. They're going to act as recon and gather intel on the subject." Chikaru snapped her fingers and, as if by instinct, Remon got up and saluted.

"And now for the finishing touches." Said the president, a smirk on her face as Remon ran to the group that was now away from them. The new addition to the group caused all of the others to look over and, in that same instant that they would all look over, Chikaru slipped a kiss onto Tamao without warning, resting a hand on her shoulder.

Tamao, unable to fight back, just leaned in and poured the built up emotion into returning the kiss.

Nagisa, seeing this, felt a twinge of emotion herself. Unsure of what it was, and shrugging it off, she looked away.

The afternoon:

Nagisa remained somewhat quiet that whole day after, which worried her room mate as well as made her think that the plan was working. Though she was still unsure of what happened earlier. She had really enjoyed that kiss, and it wasn't her Nagisa.

There was a silence in the dorm room that the two returned to, except for the sound of writing from Nagisa's desk.

"Nagisa-chan?" The bluenette hoped to break the ice with idle conversation.

"Huh? Oh, Tamao-chan... Yes?" Replied the red head, seeming very out of it. Her dazed, spacing out look was obvious.

"Thank you," Said the poet, smiling. "Thank you so much, Nagisa-chan. I never wanted to tell you about, well... My feelings. But thank you for understanding. You really are the best friend I could have ever asked for."

blush crept its way upon the red head's cheeks, as she had not expected such a forward conversation. Whatever was happening with her room mate, it was giving her much more direct conversational skills. And Nagisa was unsure if she was ready for that.

"Y- you're... Welcome?" Replied the red head, somewhat confused. "I think I'm going to get to bed early tonight, if that's okay."

The poet smiled gently, and nodded. "Whatever you want, Nagisa-chan. I have to go out real quick though. I'll be back before curfew, I promise."

The evening(Chikaru's dorm room):

"Are you sure, Chikaru-sempai?" Asked Tamao nervously.

"Of course," the president began, "A play is the perfect excuse for her to see you for the wonderful person you are."

Aside from the blushing, the bluenette had no idea what Chikaru meant by 'seeing her' and thus, curiously, decided to read over the script. As soon as she saw the title, she knew exactly what Chikaru meant.

"Y-you want us to do this play?" She asked, almost in disbelief.

"Sure, why not? It has everything Nagisa will need to start understanding her feelings. Romance, falling out of touch, best friends that grow closer, and even a spicy kiss scene." There was a hint of flirtatiousness to her voice at this point, and she wouldn't make any effort to hide it.

"B-but Chikaru-sempai?" Began the poet.

"Just Chikaru, please. If we're going to pull this facade off, we need to stay in character even when not around others. It's an actor's greatest achievement to even fool themselves into believing they are who they play!" An over-the-top Shakespearean pose was struck, and Tamao visibly face-palmed before realizing that, although unorthodox, Chikaru's plans were brilliant.

"I think I can see her starting to think about it already. Today she seemed really distant, and avoided talking about romance as often as she could." Tamao smiled and bowed. "Thank you for helping me win her over."

"It's no trouble. Now then..." Chikaru was cut off, abruptly, after seeing Tamao's expression. It reminded her so much of earlier, when she kissed her. There was something about that look that stopped her in her tracks, and it took Tamao tapping her on the shoulder to snap her out of it.

"Are you tired, Chikaru? Maybe you should head to bed." The poet hugged her tightly and stood. "I'll get to work on writing my own version of this script, so we can make it exactly how we want it."

"Wait!" Chikaru's voice seemed concerned, very uncharacteristic for her and even more surprising to herself than to the bluenette.

"Yes?" Asked Tamao.

"Write two endings. One for each of the love interests." Said the president, smiling her usual, mysterious smile.

"I don't understand, but I won't question your mind. Everything so far has worked. I'll do so. Goodnight, Chikaru-sempai... Er... Goodnight, my Chikaru."

As the door closed, Chikaru's smile grew.

"Goodnight, my Tamao. And I hope you'll choose the love interest that dedicated herself to helping you."

A/N: And so, there we have the setup. I'm leaving this play a mystery for now, for a few reasons. Mainly because I have yet to decide what it is, but also because being mysterious helps with keeping the attention of the reader. If you know of a good play or story that matches the description Chikaru gave, please tell me.

Also, about the twist: Foreshadowing, much?


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So sorry everyone! Computer malfunction and I had to reinstall everything. Before I begin the next chapter, I'd like to answer some questions:

Q: What is the time-line right now?

A: There actually isn't one. The entire series was broken up over the course of two years, meaning that, in 26 episodes, there could have been any number of events either left out or completely overshadowed due to not airing or being written. Thus, there is an endless amount of speculation as to what happened on the days that the series skipped.

Q: Is Nagisa with Shizuma?

A: No, not right now. As last chapter showed, there is a twist I'm planning which will explain what their relationship is, as well as tie together any events I have not explored further thus far.

* * *

Anyway, quick note: I will be no doubt continuing this until the end. Please be patient though; I have no idea how often I will be able to update or how long the story should be.

_**Chapter Three**_

The early morning:

It was roughly five in the morning, and the sun barely began to grace the peaceful sleeping Astrea Hill. Alarms began going off, girls began getting prepared for the day, and the sky seemed to be dimmer than usual. A possible metaphor that would be only relevant to those it affected. Those who had a heavily emotional day ahead were already awake and alert, meeting up outside the fountain. This secret meeting was far earlier than those who could overhear them were awake to be there for.

"Is it okay, Chikaru?"

"Naturally. Do you even need to ask?"

"Ah, just checking... I'm a littler nervous about the next step though." The two girls were back and forth bouncing ideas and theories, discussing what could and might cause a problem. Tamao eventually shook her head and smiled brightly. She would not let her insecurities hinder the already clever plot of the always calculative Lulim president.

"Trust me," Chikaru began, "Only one thing can go wrong, and that's if you decide after all of this that you aren't that into her. Do you see that happening?"

For once, a small hesitation, and the poet blushed brightly. For that split second, she doubted herself once more. Almost instantly, she replied "No." and sat down by the water's edge. The president leaned in and gave her a warm hug, whispering playfully.

"Game on."

The late morning:

"Nagisa-chan! We got mail from Hikari-chan!" An excited Tamao entered her room at nine thirty. Nagisa found herself comfort within her blankets, almost balled up and completely wrapped except for the very top of her head. She gave an indecipherable noise, as that was all her semi-conscious vocal cords could manage. Tamao did not want that as the only response she got, so she began to read the message aloud.

"Dear Nagisa-chan and Tamao-chan,

Hello! It's been a week since Amane-sama and I left for the holiday, and so far I think her family really likes me! Tomorrow we're going to my family's house to introduce her to them. I'm so excited! We will be back right after Christmas, so let's try and get together like we always do the night of, okay? I'll see you soon!

Sincerely,

Hikari."

Nagisa stirred and rose with a smile, only to feel her body lose strength and fall over again. Tamao giggled at her lazy room mate and sighed.

"Are you ever going to wake up today, Nagisa-chan?" She joked.

The red head managed a very tired sounding "Maybe." before she rolled on to her side and her arm fell off the bed.

"You've been more tired than usual lately. Maybe you should go see the nurse and ask if you have a sleeping disorder." The poet stood, returning to her desk and pulling out a stack of paper bound together with three large clips. It wasn't like she was finished with it yet, but she had all the ideas in her head. She was about a quarter of the way done writing.

"What's that?" Nagisa managed to sit upright, finding herself waking to the sight of her room mate holding a new work in her hands.

"Ah, Chikaru and I are... I-it's nothing right now, Nagisa-chan. I'll tell you later." The bluenette headed out the door as quick as she could, not sure why she didn't just tell Nagisa about the play. It wasn't like it was private. In fact, Nagisa was a major portion of it. Perhaps, she reasoned, that it was internal subconscious choice that protected the plan.

Nagisa sat there, weirded out by how strange her friend was acting. This new mysterious attitude she had was interesting, maybe even catching. No, that couldn't be right. That was her best friend, not some girl to follow around because she was mysterious. Tamao was not Shizuma. Why would the comparison come to mind?

As she thought, she also began to pace. What could Tamao possibly need to hide from her? It was starting to really get her interested. She had no idea her friend had a secret to her. It added a flare to her personality Nagisa couldn't seem to shake. What was that feeling?

As she paced, her door was left opened. Her pacing was more of a limp walk, and she was not even remotely fully awake yet, so she was making odd sounds. A student passed by in Spica garb, peeked in, and ran off, shouting "Zombie!"

In the afternoon:

There was a special meeting at the corral today, between two individuals who Chikaru would later entice into the club. She knew these girls would no doubt be of use and would most likely go along with this plan without a hint of objection.

"Yaya-chan. Tsubomi-chan." The president nodded to both of them, smiling. Her entire plan had worked thus far, now she needed these two for the final piece of step three.

"You said you had some top secret business?" Asked Yaya, her arms folded and her gaze trying its hardest to not seem intrigued by the plan.

"How would you like to help me unite two lovers who can't admit their feelings?" Her smile grew, and the traditional mysterious demeanor she held came upon her as the looks on the girls faces slowly began to match hers. They were already interested.

"Who are we talking about here?" Asked Tsubomi.

"Who else but the silly little birds from Miator?" Said Chikaru, getting far more into the situation than need be, as usual. "The two lovers who cannot see each other in this world so clouded by others, illusions of what they really need; Each other!" A fire in her eyes, Chikaru was always one to make things seem more intense than they were. Even waiting in line.

The two girls were at first a little surprised by the outburst, but eventually began talking amongst each other. With a mutual nod, the agreed to help.

"Good. As you know, I am posing as Tamao's girlfriend to get a rise out of Nagisa. However, there are two people I need you to keep away from Nagisa so she can mull over her feelings. I think you know who."

The two nodded, and almost at the same time said the names.

"Shizuma and Miyuki."

"Right. Shizuma will flirt those thoughts right out of poor little Nagisa's head, and Miyuki, as good as her intentions are, will do no favors for the situation either. It's absolutely crucial to keep them away from Nagisa while she thinks. As cruel as it is to leave someone alone with their own head, I need you two to also avoid helping her in this matter. Unless, of course, it is to tell her how amazing Tamao-chan is."

The two girls nodded and, as if catching her acting bug, saluted and headed off to do their duties. Chikaru grinned and began an internal monologue.

"_Ah, the pieces fall together so smoothly. However, while they work on Nagisa, I'll be working my own way into Tamao's head. Sorry, Nagisa-chan. I'll make it up to you somehow."_

The late afternoon:

Nagisa sat herself upon the edge of the water bank, the pond the only thing in her sights. There was no way for her to know all that was happening, but there was one thing she knew. She was totally alone, all day. Even the girls she usually spent time with seemed distant. It may have been her imagination, but she couldn't go to anyone all day with her thoughts. She was even unsure of where Shizuma was, which was just plain unusual.

Only one face greeted her that moment. Her blue haired best friend began to form in the water's reflection. Nagisa, unaware that Tamao was in fact right there behind her, shot back a few inches.

"Great, now I'm seeing her in places too. Tamao-chan, why can't I stop thinking about you?" She said aloud, causing a heavy blush in the bluenette's features. She smiled and shook it off, kneeling down and gently poking her room mate's shoulder.

"Since when am I on your mind that much?" Asked Tamao playfully. The red head jumped, almost falling into the water in shock and a red tint crept over her face now as well.

"T-tamao-chan! I-i meant that, er, I..." She was silenced by a finger over her lips and a 'Shhh' sound from her room mate.

"You've got a lot on your mind, Nagisa-chan. I'm honored that I'm one of those things, but I'm sorry..." She smiled warmly, as if encouraging the girl.

"I'm taken right now. But I'll definitely keep this in mind if things don't work. Thank you for your accidental honesty, Nagisa-chan..." Tamao stood, still holding that same stack of papers from before. She handed it to her friend, smiling.

"This is a play I'm working on. I want you to read what I have so far, okay? Maybe it will help clear your head a bit."

Nagisa tried to hide her blush. She truly had no idea what she was feeling all day, and to hear her previously shy to a fault room mate be so open and so direct with her was, to say the least, surprising. At the most, it confirmed what she was feeling all day. She was too shy to look her friend in the eyes anymore, and so she sank her head as she received the play. There was clearly no doubt about her emotions now. Why now, though, when she was together with someone and happy? Nagisa felt like a terrible person for feeling this way towards a taken person.

Tamao had walked off before she could get a response from her friend, and that took literally all of her willpower to do.

The night:

Back at the fountain, the false couple met at last after a whole day apart. Tamao gave a coy smile, and Chikaru came to her with a warming hug. She really did get into her roles more than the poet would ever be able to.

"How did your end of step three go?" Asked the president.

"It took all of my strength not to just kiss her today. She confessed." Tamao shyed eye contact away. The look on Chikaru's face was indefinitely happy. She picked up Tamao by her chin as she had several time, and kissed her forehead.

"I set up the other units. They will ensure Shizuma doesn't get in the way until after Nagisa is completely infatuated."

"Thank you, Chikaru. You've been an absolutely amazing help." Tamao finally turned her eyes to meet with the president's. Her eyes were unusually softer today than before. It was welcoming. So welcoming, in fact, that she leaned in and kissed the raven haired girl. There was nothing but surprise in Chikaru's expression now,, though there was no way she would fight it. When the kiss broke, Tamao blushed and turned away again.

"I-i'm sorry! It was all that built up emotion today, I couldn't control myself!" Trying to explain herself into a safe situation again, she was met by the same 'Shhh' and finger over her lips that she had given Nagisa earlier. Chikaru smiled.

"It happens to the best of us. Besides, we have to be believable right?" She said warmly.

"Y-yeah..." Tamao smiled, bowed, and took her leave.

Chikaru, upon seeing Tamao reach an area out of earshot, smiled to herself and put a hand to her lips.

"Well well, seems things on both Nagisa and Tamao's ends are going faster than I intended. Better step up my own game now too."

A/N: And that's a wrap for today! I do hope I haven't just dug myself a grave with writer's block on that ending. I feel like I left it open for the next chapter to happen quickly, but if I lose my muse, we may have a problem. Please and thank you for any suggestions as to which play the girls will do! I need to know that before the final chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Okay, so there is no way I can actually explain this one. This absence was chalked up to some medical issues, moving, college starting, etc. Anyway, I may be a bit out of place on this one, but I'm here to update and answer some questions again.

Q: Why is Chikaru so sadistic?

A: I'm basing Chikaru on the manga version of her character. She was quieter, and had much darker motives for helping people than the anime touched upon.

I'm hoping that covers any concerns. Anyway, I apologize in advance, as this chapter will be shorter and broken up in a different way than the others. I'm trying something new for my breaks, hoping to incorporate it into my own series if it gets good feedback here. It's basically a shift from many perspectives, all of which are first person. You'll see what I mean.

* * *

Nagisa

I was curious when I woke up about why Tamao wasn't in the room. She usually wakes me up, but lately it was as if she was just too busy or something. What confuses me most of all is that she has become very dodging lately. If I was gonna find anything out, I would have to confront her. So, as I got dressed, I began thinking of ways to ask where she had been without seeming too worried. She would no doubt act as she always did and joke about it being more than worry.

This time, she was right.

Tamao

I knew she was going to do that. She always gets so worked up when I'm not around, it's kinda sad. But when she came up to me today, I was a bit surprised. This time, she hugged me immediately, and started asking me all kinds of things about Chikaru and me, what we do, all the things she already knew the answer to. It was like she was just trying to make smalltalk, which I've never sen her do. She never struggles with talking to me, so it was uncomfortable. Even on questions I knew the answer to, I choked because I didn't feel like she was herself.

That was when she kissed me.

–

Chikaru

I should have seen that coming I guess. Later in the day after Tamao had settled down, she and I discussed what had happened. Apparently Nagisa had tripped Tamao up, kissed her after making her too nervous to reply, felt bad about it and ran off. Tamao, naturally, was too n shock-and probably bliss-to react, so a friend had to come coax her out of her stupor. She told me all about it. Was my plan already working? Did I miscalculate the actual end of this whole thing? I had to go back and look at what had already happened. Tamao was writing the details of her own life down day by day in the script I asked her to rewrite. Two endings...

Why did I let there be two endings?

–

Nagisa

I felt terrible after I kissed her. So terrible that I had spent the rest of the day trying to get some help from my friends. They all seemed so... Distant, though. Like they weren't allowed to talk to me. It was strange enough that I found myself consulting Chiyo, who I thought I shouldn't involve at first because she was so young and had no idea what was going on. She and I had a nice, quiet lunch together to talk about it. Turns out, I was probably pretty out of line and I should apologize to Tamao. I was going to, that night while we were getting ready for bed. But I just couldn't. No, I wasn't scared to or anything. She didn't leave the room before I could, none of that.

It was because she kissed me back.

–

Tamao

So I kissed my Nagisa a bit earlier into Chikaru's plan than expected. So what? I wasn't about to miss that opportunity. I told Chikaru thanks for all the help, but the plan went ahead way faster than she expected and I would talk to Nagisa tonight. When I got into the room, she started to talk, and I stopped her with a kiss. She told me all about how insanely jealous she was of Chikaru and started asking me why I was kissing her when I was with the President. I calmly explained that she said we looked cuter together. It was a night I won't soon forget-and neither will she, I made sure of that-and I wish that it went on forever.

Shame it ended so quick.

–

Chikaru

I guess I should have anticipated this, but I still feel like an idiot. Maybe I should let it go, but Tamao is just... No way am I giving her up. Even if I have to start being more direct, I'll get through to her. I swear I will. Tonight wasn't the best time to try though, because when I showed up at her door and asked about the play. She had written both endings alright. But it seemed as though the one we would go with was the one I hoped against. These endings weren't just paper written words. They were the paths taken by the heroine, who on or off paper was the spotlight right now; everyone's eyes were on her, waiting for her next move.

I just hope she goes down my path.

* * *

A/n: Short and sweet. This was just a way of getting into everyone's heads, explaining a tiny bit further into the story, and maybe opening some more ideas to flow. I'm still banking the next few chapters to be soon, unless I get overwhelmed again. Sorry for the wait, and the possibly disappointing result.


End file.
